Symptoms- Not yet diagnosed

@chrishopes, I'm thinking about you as you prepare for your endoscopy tomorrow. You've done an endoscopy before, so you know what to expect. I know it's easy to leap to the worse case scenario - cancer, but your symptoms can be any number of esophageal conditions like you mention.

All the best for tomorrow. Please let me know how it goes.

Thank you.

Hi
I went to ER when I could not swallow food. I could only sip water. The ER doc prescribed antacid and recommended I see gastro doc as followup. I did see gastro doc and he did endoscopy and found large cancerous tumor in lower esophagus. I have now had 14 of 28 radiation and chemo treatments and hope to be done on Feb. 6, 2023. Then I will have to wait another 6 weeks to have PET scan which will tell if all the cancer in esophagus and several local lymph nodes is gone.

Good Morning!
Are you in Rochester? My husband just rang the bell on Friday finishing the radiation part of his treatment with more chemo to go. We are a bit ahead of you in treatments. If your family would like to talk please have them reach out. Wishing you a successful treatment and good health!

Good morning
You are ahead of me. We watch people ring the bell and how excited they are to be done with radiation and chemo. I look forward to it. We are in Florida and are using the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. Prayers and best wishes for successful results.

Thank you so much. Even just knowing it’s a possibility makes one feel so lonely or at least it did me. I will pray for you as you get through this very difficult time. I will pray for healing, peace of mind and skill in your doctors hands. If there is anything else you would like prayer for let me know. God is good!

Hi Don,

I’m glad to hear you were diagnosed and will be receiving treatment. How long could you not eat food before you went to ER? Did you have the soreness behind breastbone when swallowing? I haven’t been able to eat solids for two weeks. It’s a terrifying ordeal to wait for your prognosis. Many people seek help when they can’t swallow, which is said to be in later stages of the cancer. This disease is listed as having such dismal outcomes. I hope you and others prove that wrong. Did you have any other symptoms prior to swallowing difficulties?

Any other feedback would be appreciated. Thanks for your posting. Good luck with your treatments.

I am pre diagnosed as well. The stress I’m feeling is overwhelming. My scope is this week. The swallowing problems started about two weeks ago. Painless swallowing with food dragging down under breast bone. Then things progressed quickly, now can only swallow soft food after a week and have tender sore feeling after swallowing. My whole body is gone haywire with neuropathic burning pain I can feel internally and externally. I had abdominal side flank pain for quite a while prior to the swallowing issue. You know things are really wrong when GERD doesn’t improve with diet revisions. I have had reflux for years. This was my only risk factor. If you had a scope in the last two years that’s a good indication that you are dealing with another issue. If you haven’t had long term
GERD that’s another assurance your issue is unlikely to be serious. Mayo Clinic website has good info on this issue. Good luck….

@scarlettanager, I've been thinking about you. Did you have your scope? Any update on a diagnosis?

Hello,

Thanks for your concern. My sigmoidoscopy is March 15. I am however concerned this is not soon enough. In the last few days I’ve been having trouble urinating. Never in my life have I had a trickling stream. I did seek medical attention for it and they did a urine and blood test that came back normal. I’ve only been having these symptoms for a week. I’m wondering if signs of functional kidney problems would show up in my blood and urine this quick. Worried this is signs of colon cancer spread. I won’t know for sure until my scope is done. Feeling uneasy as I should. The doctors have assured me my blood work would show signs if there was metastasis occurring. I had a clear CT done at the end of November. Any thoughts would be appreciated.